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a professional reporter, to capture events not
directly related to his missions within the 11e
régiment du génie (Engineer Regiment). Be it the
aftermath of a dogfight in April 1916, a machine
gun demonstration in the presence of authorities
four months later, or even a cooking contest in
The Somme during September of the same year,
these episodes were thereby the objects of
genuine photographic reports.
On April 10, 1916, while participating in the
establishment of a floating bridge across the
canal from the Marne to the Aisne, Jacques
Tournadour d'Albay witnessed a dogfight
opposing a French biplane to a German Fokker,
after which he took several pictures of the
German Fighter.
“We're going to work. During lunch (on the bank),
we're flown over by a French biplane pursuing
a "Boche" aircraft. A few minutes later the “Boche”
comes back, stutters and lands near Courmelois.
The French descends quickly and rolls over. The
airman injured his knee. The Fokker's pilot and
his aircraft are unharmed. It's a Fokker E.III
N° 196/16, propeller type Gnome 2,46m pitch 0,25.
I take a few pictures.” Thus he recounts the event
on April 10, 1916. Let's also add that the propeller
was, in fact, produced by company Garuda, as
evident from both the technical report and the
photos.
This photographer's notes clarify the until then
unresolved question of where the overturned
Nieuport seen near the Fokker in the photos
came from. The pilot of the Fokker supposedly
was Uffz. Anton Rösler (Rössler) of FFA 22.
He had been at the front for a short time, having
been assigned to the unit on March 15, 1916, but
had already endured three aerial battles and
forced one French aircraft to land. His Fokker
E.III 196/16 (c.n. 488) was brand new and had
left the factory in Schwerin on March 26. On the
fateful April 10, just before 11 am, he engaged in
a dogfight with a Caudron from Esc. C 28 and was
then fired upon by anti-aircraft gunners from
the 7e section d'autos-canons de DCA. He was
subsequently pursued by a Nieuport 10 of Esc.
N 38, crewed by Sgt. Gustave Douchy (pilot) and S/
Lt. Francois Roederer (observer). When they saw
that the Fokker was landing on French territory,
they attempted to land next to it and preventits
pilot from setting the valuable aircraft on fire.
However, upon landing, they overturned. Although
their victory was not verified, Douchy later
became a fighter ace with nine confirmed kills.
There were enough French soldiers on the
The original archive photo is credited with the note that the Nieuport crashed near the Fokker E.III serial no. 488. Photo: L'Argonnaute
A series of photographs from Courmelois showing Uffz. Anton Rösler of FFA 22, presumably before marching into captivity at Châlons. Photo: L'Argonnaute
ARTICLES
INFO Eduard
17
May 2024